Focus
by CarefullyReckless
Summary: They went from the top of the world to struggling to get back on their feet. Living under a camera lens and complicated matters of the heart threaten to keep Nikki from figuring out what Seth already knows but time on the shelf for the both of them after injuries gives her more than enough time to focus on what, particularly who, she really needs.
1. Chapter 1

For someone who was dressed in an outfit that really could've been considered too hot for television, she had never looked more angelic. Her simple black bra and panties stood out from underneath her turtle-necked, long sleeved, semi-sheer, lace bell-bottomed jumpsuit. However, her usual long extension and bright makeup was nowhere to be found. She had decided to wear her natural brunette locks cut in layers and very light highlighting on her face. It almost seemed like a different person had shown up tonight.

Nikki crouched down on the ground backstage, laughing at the gold statue in her hands. She still couldn't believe it. After everyone told her she couldn't wrestle and that she was given every opportunity, she blasted through all of the criticism and carved her own path and for that, she was damn proud of herself. Of course she hadn't put on five star matches like the NXT girls or gotten the respect that she wanted, but now she felt like she could if given the proper tools. Now, she could honestly say that she was one of the best female wrestlers in the deepest women's division in WWE history and people acknowledged that.

Black shoes and crutches came into her line of sight and she looked up into the familiar eyes of a friend. Nikki kissed the head of her Slammy one more time before standing on her feet in front of the man.

Seth wanted to throw down his crutches and lift her in the air, hugging her until his arms fell off but he remembered his injury and settled for kissing her on the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle. She'd be lying if she said the man wasn't single handedly one of the most important people in her life. His Slammy rested in his hand as well and while he was extremely humbled by the support of the fans, he was a million times more excited that the woman in front of them won.

"Hello, gorgeous," Seth smirked and Nikki rolled her eyes before pinching his cheek.

"I missed you too, Sethie Wethie," Nikki joked and he pulled away immediately.

"Damn it, Nicole. What did I say about calling me that in public?" He snapped and Nikki laughed. She took one of his crutches and leaned it against the wall. Then, she locked her elbow with his, looking up at him with sincerity in her eyes.

"If it's alright with you, champ, I think I'd like to be your crutch for the night. Isn't that what friends are for?" She questioned. Seth's heart was melting for this girl. He had told her plenty of times that if she ever wanted to leave Cena, he'd make her the queen of Iowa or something with 47 kids and 100 rings if she wanted them but she always laughed him off, assuming he was just joking. She still called him champ even though he was hobbling around and had no gold around his waist. Little things like that gave him that extra motivation to keep pushing forward.

If he was honest with himself, she was the reason he'd turned into a manwhore as of late. She was what he truly wanted and what he truly couldn't have. Usually, he could care less if a girl he wanted was in a relationship. He was always the type of guy to go after everything he wanted except for her. He respected her way too much to let her live with the guilt of cheating on who she felt was the love of her life, even if he disagreed. They were very close but she was very clear that she had limits and he was careful not to surpass them. However, after two failed relationships in the past two years, it was becoming more and more obvious that he was settling and he hated it.

They were both on the shelf due to injury, him the more damaged of the two and despite her own physical hangups, she had flown out to Iowa repeatedly to check on him and help take care for him when he was less mobile. Granted, she always arrived with enough designer suitcases to start her own boutique but she never let him down.

"You really are the best, Nick," Seth grimaced due to discomfort. He was still putting more pressure on his leg because he didn't want to lean on her too heavily. Nikki rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side, forcing him to let her carry some of his weight. Damn, he loved that girl.

"Stop being such a hard ass," Nikki said.

A stage hand approached them at that moment, "Would you two mind taking some pictures for the WWE website?"

Nikki, usually always down for a photo op, was about to protest but Seth being Seth had to open his big mouth.

"Absolutely! It's about time you asked," Seth grinned in his cocky way and Nikki rolled her eyes once more. She remembered when they first spoke. He was still in The Shield and was having a major hair malfunction one night before a show. Unable to find any other woman that wasn't preoccupied, he spotted her in catering and didn't hesitate to hound her about her knowledge on blonde hair dye. The rest was history.

They slowly made their way over to the backdrop where they'd take pictures. Seth volunteered to go first so she helped him get to one spot and held his crutch for him as he posed. Nikki couldn't help but laugh. Seth could never smile like a normal person. He always had to smirk or look like he was in the middle of an evil cackle. Seeing her laugh, he winked at her and she blushed and waved. Even though he felt like a few more shots of himself were necessary, it was time for Nikki to be photographed. She helped him out of the way and handed him his crutch back.

Seth looked at her as she smiled for the camera. She was more than hot, she was a genuinely beautiful human being. He pulled out his phone and looked on Twitter to see how the fans had reacted to his temporary return. Instead, he saw what Nikki had tweeted 20 minutes earlier. She was talking about her banner year and how to top it off she'd love an engagement ring from her boyfriend John Cena. She added a "just kidding" at the end but Seth knew Nikki. Marriage was truly her heart's desire. He frowned and put his phone back in his pocket. Nikki really did deserve better than what she was getting. He told her all the time even though it often caused her to shut down and walk out.

"Would you two like a picture together?" the photographer asked. Seth knew the internet would explode if he said yes but that's kind of what he wanted. Rollins 1, Cena 0.

"Of course I want a picture with the Nickster," Seth said and made it over beside her on his own, dropping the crutch when he got there. He was gonna assume this was going to be a mostly head and shoulders shot.

Nikki looked up at him and smiled until she looked in his eyes. She could tell that he had seen what she said. Her bottom lip started trembling and he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently, effectively calming her down. He put his other hand under the Slammy in her hand to support it. His trademark evil smirk was on his face and Nikki was smiling sweetly for the camera. In a surprise turn of events before an actual picture was taken, she reached up with her free hand and placed it over his that was on her shoulder, linking their fingers. Seth was so shocked that he had to mentally scream at himself to stay in character.

The photographer quickly snapped a few shots before running off to find the other Slammy winners in attendance. Seth and Nikki were alone with no other human beings in sight. He pulled her in closer to him and wrapped both arms around her. She dropped the Slammy, not caring if it broke or not, and hugged him back.

"I love you Seth," she mumbled into his chest and he sighed. There were no three words in the world that he wanted to hear more but they both knew that right now, she didn't mean them in the way that he wanted her too.

"I love you more, Nick. I promise you, I love you more," he responded, kissing the top of her head and they both knew that he'd never stop hoping that one day she'd fall in love with him too.

* * *

I have turned into a believer in Nikki Bella. She has improved tremendously as a wrestler and can truly hold her own against the rest. That being said, I still go hard for the NXT-bred girls but I have to give credit where credit is due. Also, if you're reading my other story Serendipity, you know I ship Ballins but Neth Bellins is so legit, I love it and that picture after the Slammy Awards inspired this fic. This is going to be a two or three-shot most likely even though it can stand on it's own. For those waiting on Serendipity, trust me another chapter is on the way. Merry Christmas everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh my gosh, Nicole, really?" Seth exclaimed as he stood in the doorway of his apartment leaning on primarily on his good leg even though his crutches were nearby.

"Sethory! You should be sitting down, you're still hurt. It was supposed to be a surprise," Nikki said. She pushed the large Prada shades she was wearing to the top of her head and adjusted her two carryons on her shoulders. She sniffed a few times but Seth thought nothing of it.

"Sethory is not my name and it was kind of hard to ignore the sound of you dragging luggage up the stairs," he acted irritated but he was so happy to see her.

"Well, Seth is too short so I gave you a full name that I can say when I'm mad at you or when I feel like it. Could you just let me in now?" She huffed. She was holding so much stuff that she couldn't find her spare key to his apartment in this state. She had never been to his place in Orlando but he gave her a key anyway, just in case. He had no idea why she was there but he surely wasn't going complain about a visit from the girl he was in love with.

He stepped out of the way and she dragged all of her things in and threw them on the ground as soon as she was in the clear. "I'll clean up the mess later," she smiled and he smiled back at her, taking a step forward and opening his arms for her to step into and be embraced. She did exactly that, careful not to squeeze him too tight because she insisted on treating him like he was made of glass. He rolled his eyes and squeezed her as tight as he could before kissing her forehead, nose, and both cheeks causing her to giggle uncontrollably. Nikki still hadn't explained why she was there but he couldn't bring himself to care why. She was his bestfriend, his biggest fan, and in his eyes, his soulmate.

"I missed you," Seth said, looking at her with that look he always gave her. That look always seemed predatory, romantic, and mesmerizing all at the same time.

"Of course you did," she joked and laughed nervously.

"No." He put his hand on her hips and stepped as close as he possibly could. "I really missed you, Nick." He knew he'd get rejected but it never hurt to try so he pressed his forehead to hers then stepped back abruptly before she could even react. "Nicole, you're burning up. You're sick, why would you come here knowing you have a fever? I know that was a long flight."

"You're overreacting, besides I haven't seen you in like 3 weeks and I had to see how your recovery was going myself," she replied and Seth's heart melted. She really was so amazing.

"Get in my bed now and take a nap. I'll bring you some cold meds in a few and I'll put these bags in my closet. I'm crippled, not incompetent and I won't take no for an answer. Now go!" Seth instructed with his best authoritative voice and Nikki knew that when he got like this, it was best to just oblige.

"You got it champ," she said and kissed his cheek before kicking off her shoes and heading to fall asleep.

It took Seth thirty minutes to do everything he'd usually be able to do in five. Nikki had several large Louis Vuitton suitcases packed to capacity for reasons he'd never be able to understand. He had to make many trips to his closet due to his injury but he was able to put her things away safe and sound.

It was 11 o'clock at night and he was sure he needed to rest but Nikki was his primary priority. He hobbled around his bathroom to grab some NyQuil for her allergies & fever and Tylenol for the headache he was sure she had. Then, he got a water bottle from his fridge so she could wash it down.

When he got to his room, he found her sleeping with all of the covers pushed to the foot of his bed. She had removed her shirt and was only wearing a plain black sports bra and the yoga leggings she was wearing earlier. Seth turned on the ceiling fan to allow her to get some more cool air but left the lights off because the moonlight was streaming in.

He leaned his crutches against the wall and hopped over to his bed and sat on the edge.

"Nicole, wake up. After you take this, you can go right back to sleep, I promise," he whispered and lightly shook her to wake her.

She sat up groggily and accepted the medication and washed them down. "I'm so hot and not in the good way," she groaned.

"You're always hot in a good way," Seth said and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Shut it, Sethory. Are you laying down?" She asked him with drooping eyelids. Clearly, she was still quite sleepy.

"If you want me to," he replied. She nodded her head. He stripped off his shirt and slid in right beside her. She laid her warm cheek on his chest and he laid his hand over her forehead to check her temperature again and push her hair out of her face. Nikki snuggled comfortably against his torso. The skin to skin contact made her feel much better.

"I love you Nickelodeon," Seth whispered into her hair.

She was falling asleep quickly but managed to sneak a kiss to the inside of his palm before finally falling asleep again. He sighed and let his arm rest on her hips and tried to get some sleep himself.

* * *

It was about 4 am and Seth's eyes fluttered open. Nikki was sitting up with her head resting in her palm. Her fever had broken but it was clear that a cold wasn't what bothered her.

"Nick, what is it?" Seth asked, clearly groggy.

"I have to have neck surgery. I may not be able to wrestle again," she whispered.

Seth was at a loss for words. Of course they knew it was a possibility since she first started having issues with her back and neck. However, he'd always seen Nikki as the stronger of the two of them.

He sat up too and let his head hang as well. "When?" he asked.

"In 3 days," she replied.

"3 days?! Nicole, really? Why you even here? You should be home preparing and getting your mind together," he raised his voice at her which he almost never did but she really drove him crazy.

"Don't yell at me, I still have a headache but I needed peace and peace is what I get from being around you. No Total Divas cameras, no family, just please Seth, I need this from you," Nikki asked and placed her hand on his arm, prompting him to look at her.

Seth yearned to kiss her right there and then but he also had an urge to just shake her. Why couldn't she see that they were a perfect team? Instead of pressing his lips to hers, he instinctively said what was on his mind. "I love you, Nicole."

She sadly smiled and grabbed his hand. "I know you do, Sethory. Believe me, I do," and she kissed the top of his knuckles.

He sighed, frustrated that once again she took his devotion as simple friendship but not too frustrated to deny her comfort in her time of need.

Seth laid back down on the bed and allowed her to curl up against him. She was still shaking and he reached out and tucked her under his arm, holding her against his body tightly until she went to sleep.

* * *

"Nicole, what are you doing? Are you still not feeling well? You should be resting so you'll be ready for your surgery," Seth asked when he woke up, quite unsure of whether or not he was in a dream.

Nikki already dressed in athletic clothes, looking absolutely beautiful for someone who was most likely just going on a jog around the block. That wasn't the wild part. Nikki was standing in his kitchen cooking and nothing was burning.

"I'm fine, really. You were an incredible nurse last night. I will be ready for surgery," she smiled and put the eggs she had prepared on a plate next to the sausage. She put the plate on the counter. "Now eat."

Seth hobbled over to the the kitchen counter and hopped onto a bar stool and eyed her curiously before taking a careful bite of eggs. His tongue started burning immediately. "Hot, hot, hot!" He looked around and couldn't find anything to wash it down with until suddenly Nikki placed a glass next to his plate.

"I'm sorry, I had forgotten to hand you your protein shake. You were running low on kale so I went to the grocery store early this morning and got you some," she apologized.

Seth just stared at her for a few moments. He had no idea how she knew him so well. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to know. Once again, he had a case of word vomit. "Will you just marry me already?" He asked her. He was so serious in his intentions. She was the only girl he'd ever met that was worth stopping his entire world for.

She took it as a joke and giggled before she sat next to him after she fixed a glass of orange juice. "I learned how to cook a bit during my time off. I had nothing better to do so why the hell not?"

"You did a good job, I can't even remember the last time that I had a home cooked meal," he blushed and she lightly nudged him in the shoulder.

"That's what I'm here for. I'm going for a run, I'll be back in an hour, Sethory," she kissed him on the cheek and was gone in an instant.

Seth smiled to himself. For the first time, he was actually enjoying his time on the shelf.

* * *

"Nick! Nick! Guess what?" Seth burst through the door 2 days later when he came back from physical therapy.

Nikki walked out of his room, clearly confused. He didn't help matters by picking her up as soon as she stepped into his line of view. Nikki braced herself for a fall but was surprised when it didn't come. "What is happening?"

"I'm off the crutches, I'm just wearing the brace for now but my doctor says I'm exceeding all expectations. I might be back in the ring sooner than I expected," he exclaimed and set her back down on her feet.

"That's great," Nikki said without much enthusiasm. She was extremely happy for Seth but his progress was a reminder of her career-threatening neck injury that she had to get repaired the next day.

"Nicole, I forgot, I'm so sorry," Seth apologized once he realized what he had done.

"No problem," she shrugged it off but he pulled her in for a hug anyway. She melted into his grasp and let herself shed a single tear.

"You are not just a gimmick. You really are fearless Nikki. That surgery tomorrow will go fine and you'll go back to Arizona and recover in no time," he whispered optimistic words in her ear.

"Actually, I'm not going back to Arizona for my recovery," she said softly. He stepped away from her in confusion. She kept looking at him and suddenly it all clicked.

"You're not here just for three days, aren't you?" Seth asked.

"If it's a problem, I can just go to Brie. No big deal. I just figured since you're right by the Performance Center and since you're recovering too, maybe we could do this together," she laughed nervously and started walked away until he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Are you kidding me? Of course it's not a problem. This is better than no crutches. Now I can know you're okay at all times and maybe I can get a homecooked meal every now and then. Haha," he said. Seth pulled her against his body and she shuddered from the sudden warmth of his body.

"You sure it's okay? I don't know what I was thinking, I didn't even ask," Nikki asked one more time.

He pressed his forehead against hers. "It's beyond okay."

Much to his surprise, she kissed him briefly on the lips. It was less than 2 seconds, very chaste, and more along the lines of friendly but it happened and for Seth, that was more than enough.

"Good night, Sethory," she beamed at him and went to sleep.

Seth just fell back on the couch with the world's biggest grin. Nothing could top this.

* * *

"Shouldn't Cena and your family be here by now? They're about to wheel you out," Seth asked begrudgingly. Honestly, he didn't care if Cena came but Nicole loved the guy so the least he could do was be there for one of the biggest days of her life.

"Mom is on vacation with her new hubby. My brother will be here tomorrow. Brie and Daniel are at this fertility clinic that had like a year long waiting list. I told her I'd kill her before I let her miss it. As for John, we're not together anymore," Nikki said.

Seth's eyes widened at the last part. "What?! When were you going to tell me?" He wondered out loud.

"Seth. It doesn't matter. I'm in good hands. It's just me and you like always. Sethory and Nicole for the win, remember?" She comforted him which was weird since she was the one who'd be in surgery in less than five minutes. Nikki held his hand in hers and kissed it as she always did.

The doctor and nurses came in to come get her to take her to the operating room. Suddenly, Seth felt like he was running out of time. "I really love you, Nickelodeon. You better kick this surgery's ass, you hear me? And you're going to come back and the Women's Championship isn't even going to be good enough for you anymore. You're gonna come back and beat me for the WWE Championship and I'm going to let you because I fucking love you so much so you better recover fast and be fearless," he rambled and ended his rant by putting on one of her Fearless Nikki headbands which made her laugh even though both his and her eyes were visibly watering.

"I know and I will," Nikki said before she cupping his cheek and leaning in for another featherlight kiss on his lips. It was so quick that he almost missed it all but it happened and that was all that mattered.

He kissed her forehead one last time and stepped out of the way so they could wheel her to the OR. Now it was time for him to be fearless too.

* * *

One more chapter after this! Thanks to everyone who supports this story and waited so patiently for this update and pushed me to update this story. I hope you enjoy and I appreciate the support.


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